Home Improvement Store Credit Cards Are Still More Appealing Than Ever
In: Finance
4
Jun
2009
by T Miller
Almost any home remodeling project ends up being much more expensive than you think it will be. The cost of materials, labor and permits all add up to large sums of money by the time everything is said and done. It’s not cheap to work on your home.
Banks lend cash all the time to individuals who want to improve their houses, but most banks require you to have some sort of equity before you can get a loan. Even if you do have equity built up in your house some banks may charge additional loan fees and higher interest rates than normal based on your credit score and a number of other factors. Credit cards from home improvement stores have some unique advantages.
Zero Percent for a Limited Time: Many of those hardware store credit cards give you a period of 6 to 12 months with zero interest charges as long as you use the credit card in their store. Those savings could add up to big money if you are able to pay back part of the amount you borrowed on the credit card. Even more importantly, big stores like Lowe’s Home Centers may have multiple credit cards available for your own personal situation.
In-Store Discounts: When you initially use home improvement store credit cards you will often get a small discount as well. You might save 5% – 10% on the total cost of the project, which could be a pretty good chunk of change at the end of the day.
Convenience of Shopping For Everything At Once: These large hardware stores now offer just about everything you could need to upgrade your home and most offer lots of contractor services to actually do the work for you. Instead of visiting a dozen stores to find a kitchen faucet you can go to one store and buy a faucet, a sink, a refrigerator, all the cabinets and even hire and schedule the installers all at one time. With one store credit card you can purchase the supplies you need as well as hire someone to do all the work for you!
These home improvement credit cards can end up being a win-win for both the customer and the store. The store sells more inventory and makes more profit while the customer is able to “borrow” more money to make home improvements without having to pay any interest for a limited time! A limited time of no interest payments, possible discounts and the ease of ordering everything in one store makes those large home improvement store credit cards a pretty good idea in many cases!
- Tags: credit cards, credit rating, equity, Finance, finances, home, home depot, Home Improvement, home improvement credit card, home improvement financing, home improvement loan, house, loans, lowe's, money